Vytis

Today we celebrated Clare’s birthday — http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-04-09 — with our dear friends Raymond and Jeanne. As it happens, they have two houseguests: one a niece attending school here and the other is Vytis, all the way from Lithuania. I think Raymond & Jeanne “intersected” with Vytis through a long-lost letter in Jeanne’s family.

Part of Jeanne’s ancestral family came to southern Illinois within the past century and the rest remained in Lithuania. Within the past decade or so, a letter turned up. Written in Lithuanian, a translation had to be done. Vytis may have been connected to that, but — long story shortened — the American and Lithuanian parts of the family have been in contact for several years now, with Jeanne (along with Raymond, Jeanne’s parents and a brother at times) making several trips to Lithuania and some of the Lithuanian relatives visiting here. It’s been quite a story.

Vytis isn't a relative, but rather a scholar doing research on Lithuanians in the U.S., including a photo exhibit last fall in Washington DC concerning “The First Lithuanians in Texas.”

A year ago (“Ta-da!” — a peony bud in our garden): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-04-15

[Joyce Wells]

What an interesting story, Thom! Love stories that intersect with different lives - we are really all the same, aren't we?!

[Rick Schies]

That is so neat that they are keeping in touch with one another.